Dwight Evans (politician)

Dwight Evans (politician)
Dwight Evans (born May 16, 1954) is an American politician serving as a U.S representative from Pennsylvania since 2016. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 203rd district for over thirty-five years.
Evans defeated incumbent Chaka Fattah in the Democratic primary election for Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district, and won a special election on November 8, 2016, following Fattah's resignation from Congress after he faced corruption charges. The district, which rebranded to Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district in 2019, includes most of Center City, West, and Northwest Philadelphia.
Early life and education
Evans grew up in the Germantown and West Oak Lane sections of Philadelphia and is a graduate of the Community College of Philadelphia and La Salle University. After graduation, he became a teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and a community activist for the Urban League.
Early political career
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Evans was first elected to office in 1980. His district, which encompasses West Oak Lane in Philadelphia, was heavily Democratic with a 95% African-American population. He was reelected 12 times against only nominal Republican opposition.
Evans was elected as the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in 1990 and served in that capacity until November 2010.
In 2010, the Philadelphia Tribune named Evans one of the 10 most influential African-Americans in the city.
Unsuccessful elections
Before his election to Congress, Evans unsuccessfully ran for higher office four times. In 1986, he sought the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, but finished third in the primary election to future Lieutenant Governor Mark Singel.
In 1994, Evans became the first African American candidate to run for governor of Pennsylvania. In the Democratic primary election, he faced Singel and Lynn Yeakel. He was endorsed by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Evans finished second in the primary with 22%.
Evans ran for mayor of Philadelphia twice. In 1999, in the race to succeed Ed Rendell, he finished fifth with 4.7% of the vote in a crowded primary won by John Street. In 2007, despite Rendell's comment that Evans was the "best qualified" for mayor, he finished fifth again, taking only 7.82% of the vote.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2016 special and general
In November 2015, Evans announced that he would run for Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district in 2016 against Democratic incumbent Chaka Fattah. In an upset, Evans beat Fattah for the Democratic nomination – the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district – on April 26, 2016. He won mainly by running up his margins in his Olney-Oak Lane stronghold. Fattah resigned two months later amid a corruption scandal.
As a result, Evans ran in two elections on November 8, 2016 – a special election for the balance of Fattah's sixth term, and a regular election for a full two-year term. He won both, and was sworn in on November 14. This gave Evans more seniority than other new members of Congress elected in 2016. His district has been in Democratic hands without interruption since 1949, and has been represented by black congressmen since 1959.
2018
A court-ordered redistricting ahead of the 2018 elections renumbered Evans's district as the 3rd district. It lost its share of Montgomery County and was pushed slightly further into Philadelphia. Like its predecessor, it is heavily Democratic and majority black. Evans handily defeated Republican challenger Bryan Leib to win his second full term.
2020
Evans was reelected in 2020 with 91% of the vote, defeating Republican Michael Harvey.
2022
Evans defeated Alexandra Hunt in the 2022 Democratic primary. No Republicans ran for the seat, and Evans defeated Socialist Workers Party candidate Christopher Hoeppner with 95% of the vote.
Tenure
In August 2017, following the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Evans and Representative Adriano Espaillat introduced legislation banning Confederate monuments on federal property.
Evans is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus.
Committee assignments
Committee on Ways and Means
Committee on Small Business
Caucus memberships
Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
Political positions
Crime
In September 2018, Evans voted against HR 6691, the Community Safety and Security Act of 2018. The bill would amend the definition of "crime of violence". Within the definition of "crime of violence" is fleeing a police officer in a vehicle or on foot.
In 2021, he voted for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and the Enhanced Background Checks Act.
In April 2022, Evans announced a $51 billion, seven-point plan to fight gun violence in Philadelphia and around the country. The same month, Giffords PAC endorsed him for reelection.
Environment
On September 24, 2018, Evans was rated 100% by the Clean Water Action group. In 2021, he received 100% on the League of Conservation Voters' National Environmental Scorecard.
Health care
Evans supports three public health option bills in Congress.
Housing
In 2021, Evans announced a $63 billion "Housing Is Essential" plan with Representatives Matt Cartwright and Mike Doyle.
Impeachment of Donald Trump
Evans was an early congressional supporter of impeaching President Donald Trump. He voted for the 2019 and 2021 impeachment resolutions.
Infrastructure
Evans voted for President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill. The legislation includes the $1 billion Reconnecting Communities initiative that he co-led.
Israel
Evans voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Ukraine
In 2022, the Russian government sanctioned Evans along with other congressional supporters of aid to Ukraine.
See also
List of African-American United States representatives
References
External links
Congressman Dwight Evans official U.S. House website
Dwight Evans for Congress official campaign website
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Dwight Evans official PA House website (1981-2016)
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1954 births
20th-century American politicians
21st-century American politicians
African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania
Community College of Philadelphia alumni
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
La Salle University alumni
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Politicians from Philadelphia
20th-century African-American politicians
African-American men in politics
21st-century African-American politicians